Top MSP Trends to Look out For in 2021

Unlike the previous year, more managed service providers (MSPs) are embracing digitalization in 2021. Many organizations have adopted a remote-first mentality and are investing in technologies that are strategically aligned with this new way of life. 

Despite the 3.2 percent decline in IT spending in 2020, Gartner projects that spending will surge and reach $3.9 trillion worldwide in 2021. More IT organizations are investing in enterprise software as remote work becomes essential. Remote-work system investments will grow by 8.8 percent this year.

A surge of investment indicates that IT organizations are willing to invest in technology that creates more business opportunities. MSPs must stay informed on the latest tech trends to support this new wave of digitalization and opportunity.

This post will present five industry trends that MSPs should know in 2021. 

Managing Cloud

Cloud technology has revolutionized the world of digital transformation and is here to stay. Organizations are moving their data to the cloud to leverage modern applications and analytics. 

Moving to the cloud means moving critical services from on-premises to Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud or other cloud service providers. Organizations can remotely manage IT infrastructures without enduring inconvenience and high maintenance costs. 

Cloud migration is beneficial from a scalability perspective. Moving to the cloud provides flexibility and allows organizations to scale up or down based on their requirements.

Pushing Cybersecurity to the Forefront

The U.S. experienced an unprecedented number of cyberattacks in 2020. The rise of attacks and the concurrent expansion of cloud services has forced organizations to reconsider their cybersecurity strategy. 

As organizational assets move outside of traditional security boundaries, Gartner outlines a new security approach called the "cybersecurity mesh." A cybersecurity mesh is defined as, "[An] architectural approach to scalable, flexible and reliable security control."

Per Gartner, "[The mesh] enables a more modular, responsive security approach by centralizing policy orchestration and distributing policy enforcement." The cybersecurity mesh is expected to enhance cybersecurity processes and measures.

Immersive Technologies (AR/VR)

Social distancing is the new norm, and purveyors of physical experiences are increasingly adopting augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) systems to enable sales. Once defined as good-to-have systems, AR/VR technologies are now prevalent during the current health crisis.

We're seeing more retailers uploading 3D models to their product landing pages, and they are leveraging AR technology to allow consumers to visualize furniture at home. AR/VR technologies provide a new, safe experience for buyers and sellers.

MSPs must be familiar with AR/VR technology to provide exceptional customer support for large and small retailers. 

Use of Artificial Intelligence

MSPs are deploying technologies that use big data and machine learning algorithms to accelerate the identification and remediation of issues. Through artificial intelligence (AI), MSPs can resolve incidents fast before they impact clients' critical business functionalities.

AI helps technicians detect anomalies in systems and suggests remedies to bring them back to normal. By leveraging AI solutions this year, MSPs can maximize client satisfaction and improve customer retention without spreading themselves too thin on resources. 

Introducing Automation to IT Service Alerting

Automation replaces repetitive, mundane tasks with scripts that trigger IT alerts when pre-configured conditions are met.

MSPs can leverage automated IT service alerting (ITSA) solutions, such as OnPage, to orchestrate notifications across on-call teams. On-call technicians are immediately notified of client issues, enabling them to provide instant resolution to critical incidents. 

ITSA solutions can be integrated with IT service management (ITSM), remote monitoring and cybersecurity tools. These powerful integrations help MSPs to accelerate incident response.

Automation is also used to optimize live call routing workflows. Clients dial one dedicated phone number to reach on-call technicians in real time. If the first technician doesn't respond, automation escalates the call to the next on-call engineer. MSPs can perfect their after-hour operations using these automated, real-time systems.

Conclusion

As the COVID pandemic pushes employers to reimagine and redefine their workplace flexibility, MSPs will see a rise in the adoption of new technologies to support this endeavor. The five tech trends, as discussed in this post, will enable organizations to survive and thrive for years to come.